Who Knew
by Rue Nightrose
Summary: Who knew the answer to happiness had been in front of her for years. Will she have the courage to go out, capture it, and make her own happy ending?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

It was one of those days. Sakura glanced at the clock on the wall, noting how slowly time was ticking by. Her shift from the hospital was set to be over in another stretch of half hour. Today had been unusually slow, with shinobi patients trickling in only every now and then. She supposed that was a good thing, as it meant her comrades were doing well, but then again it meant a slow day.

Sighing, she absently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Today was Friday, the end of her work week. It was usually a day she cheerfully celebrated with Ino, but today the pink-haired kunoichi just couldn't bring herself to be excited.

'Another night of listening to Ino yammer away about all her drunken flings, while trying to fix me up. Honestly, who hasn't she dated!' Inner Sakura huffed.

Shaking her head of such thoughts, Sakura looked down the hallway. The light in the windows had faded, marking the end of the day. She made her rounds once more, checking to make sure overnight patients were comfortable before leaving.

* * *

"Sakura! Damn girl you look good," The platinum-blonde smirked, her cool eyes assessing her best friend. "Are you trying to out-do me?"

"Trying? Ino-pig, that was achieved years ago." Sakura quipped, gathering Ino in a hug.

Smiling at each other, they linked arms and ducked into a small bar. A few years ago, the Rookie Nine had discovered it while celebrating the quiet Shino's twenty-first birthday. The usual shinobi who had frequented it for years never quite recovered.

Ino steered them to the bar, gracefully perching on a stool as she fixed her gaze on Sakura. Those deep sky-blue eyes had never failed gleaning the truth from anyone, and she seemed determined about something.

Out of nervous habit, Sakura self-conciously smoothed her black dress over her thighs. The garment was subtle, clinging to the kunoichi's curves yet merely hinting at what was hidden underneath.

The bartender appeared, placing their customary drinks in front of them before attending to a more raucous group in the back. Ino glared at the group, before turning narrowed eyes onto her silent best friend. Her violet-painted nails stirred the straw in her glass as the smallest smile appeared on her glossy lips.

"What do you think of Shikamaru?" She asked innocently.

It was Sakura's turn to glare. Without answering, she emptied her drink. Setting it down, Sakura narrowed her emerald eyes. "Is this another attempt at a fix up? Ino, I love you, but just admit you are horrible at this!"

Scowling, Ino motioned the bartender to refill Sakura's glass. "I'm not even going to dignify that with a response, Billboard brow." She grinned, leaning forward and casually tossing her long silky locks over her shoulder. "Just tell me what you think."

Resisting the urge to smack her longtime friend, Sakura leaned against the counter and gave the man in question consideration. Shikamaru Nara was lazy. 'Okay, there has to be more than that.' Inner Sakura harumphed. 'The man was first to make chunin.'

"He's incredibly intelligent, loyal, honest, and not a bad body..." Sakura listed off, while Ino punctuated each point with a nod.

"I asked him out!" Ino blurted out, unable to keep her news in any longer. She giggled at Sakura's stunned expression. "He's always been there, taking care of me all these years. I don't know why I didn't see it! I really think this is going to be it for me." Ino nodded as if convincing herself.

"That's great!" Sakura said, ignoring her Inner Sakura weeping in the back corner of her mind. "I'm really happy for you - well, for both of you." Her lips curved into a smile as she toasted the future of Ino and Shikamaru.

* * *

In the deep dusk of the night, only the soft glinting of the lamps above were visible. Away from the heart of the village, nothing was awake at this time. Soft trudging footsteps were the only thing to be heard. Sakura had drank merrily to the happiness of her friend all night long, whilst ignoring the feelings that threatened to overpower her. The man in question had even made an appearance, stopping by to give Ino a chaste kiss on the cheek.

It wasn't that Sakura wasn't happy for Ino - she was overjoyed that her friend had found happiness, especially so close. It was incredibly rare to find love in their world. One didn't become shinobi without realizing that. She was just so incredibly tired and lonely. It didn't seem to affect the others as it affected the normally cheerful cherry blossom.

The kunoichi held her heels in her hands and she made her way home. All the alcohol she had consumed earlier didn't seem to be burning off, even with her intensly fast metabolism. It was only the inherent grace of being an elite shinobi that kept her from stumbling home. Even so, her normally keen senses didn't detect the pair of eyes watching her from the rooftop.

Reaching her apartment's door, Sakura began fumbling around for her key. Searching her person, she cursed while dropping her shoes. The inebriated woman couldn't find it, and in frustration burst into quiet tears. A ball of anger flared to life as she fought the off the feelings of uselessness. 'I WILL NOT be a damsel ANYMORE!' Inner Sakura growled.

"Yo." A familiar voice stopped her inner rantings. Quiet steps came up to her, then stopped. Kakashi had noticed his former student and her boisterous friend out that night, as they did every Friday. Tonight Sakura had seemed like a wilted version of herself, woodenly smiling and celebrating.

Sakura turned to find Kakashi studying her. Hastily, she wiped the tears away and tried to tuck the long pink tresses that had come undone behind her ears. It was embarrassing enough that he had been able to sneak up on her, but that Kakashi always managed to see Sakura crying was enough to make the kunoichi cringe. She had come a long way to erase the pathetic image of her twelve year old self.

"You left this at the bar." Kakashi said, breaking the silence. Coming closer, he held out her small black purse. "Thought you wouldn't want to make the trip back."

"Oh! Thank you Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura blurted, taking her purse. She opened it and began rummaging, until she found the set of keys she had been looking for earlier. "You have no idea how much you just saved me."

'Of course, someone is always coming to my rescue.. But it's never me.'

Kakashi's penetrating eye saw the flicker of negativity on Sakura's expressive face. He stepped forward, until he was right in front of Sakura. His onyx eye met with glassy, confused green ones. His hand reached out to tuck a tendril of hair behind her ear. His touch continued down her ear to cup her face. In a familiar way, his eye crinkled with good humor.

"Probably the cost of a shattered window. Goodnight Sakura." With a poof of white smoke, Kakashi was gone.

Sakura's hand reached up to where her former sensei's hand had touched, feeling more confused than ever.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

"Who knew." Kakashi mused to himself, running fingers through his unruly mane of hair. He turned the water off, stripping his usual attire off in pieces. Despite his usual practicality, he did not sleep in full gear as some of his comrades did. The only thing he left in place was his trademark mask.

The silver-haired shinobi's thoughts began drifting toward a more perplexing person. His evening had begun simply enough, meeting up with Asuma, Kurenai, and Genma at the bar. Their chatter had been interrupted by Genma's low whistle at the entrance of two kunoichi.

"Would you look at those two? I bet if you had known how they would have turned out, you would have been much more in-depth with your... Teaching." Genma murmured, leering at the blonde and pink-haired women.

Kurenai rolled her crimson eyes while Asuma smacked the other man. Kakashi didn't take his eye off of the small, vividly orange-covered book he had open. "I'm not interested in pedophilia, thank you." He stated, turning a page.

"I'm just saying, you could have broken them in early, taught them all kinds of things." The notorious pervert grinned, his hands shaping luscious curves in the air. "What I wouldn't like to do to both of them at the same time, especially with that - " This time it was Kurenai smacking their lecherous friend.

Asuma sighed, replacing his cigarette with a new one. "I really don't know why we even hang out with you."

"It's simple, really. Now that you two have hooked up," Genma gestured at Kurenai and Asuma with his senbon, "I need to get this old pervert laid."

Kakashi finally looked up from his book. He sighed, and regretfully shut it. "What makes you think that I would want to do anything with a former student?"

Genma put his senbon back into place, looking at the masked man like he was an idiot. "Do you see her? Have you seen her?" He asked increduously. "This generation of kunoichi is not like the others - no offense Kurenai," Genma dodged a slap while continuing, "She's the only single one of the lot, I'd get a move on if I were you."

The masked man made no reply, as his eye flickered across the bar to the woman in question. Even though her head was thrown back in laughter, he caught the emotions being supressed in the depths of her eyes. Kakashi watched as she parted ways from Ino, noting how intoxicated she was. His observant gaze couldn't help notice the small purse left behind.

Their earlier meeting had left the copy-nin with an unnerving realization. His former student, so immature and needy had blossomed without him noticing. Even now, as Kakashi tossed and turned in bed, Genma's words echoed in his ears.

* * *

Quiet morning light filled the small room. Groaning wearily, a sleepy Sakura dragged herself out of bed and into her apartment's tiny living room. Turning her eyes towards the kitchen, a familiar spiky blond-haired ninja was bustling about. Not having the energy to screech at him about personal space, Sakura fell back into a worn arm chair.

"Good morning Sakura!" The loud-mouth blond grinned. "Had a little too much fun last night?" He rounded the corner edge of her counter top, his large hands carrying a steaming cup. Settling down across from his bedraggled companion, Naruto set the tea on a small table. He made a show about blowing on his hands, before adopting a more serious tone. "Hinata had me brew that for you, it'll take care of your hangover. Don't worry, I added liberal doses of milk and honey."

Silently thanking Ino for shoving Hinata into Naruto that fateful day, Sakura took the tea. The shy Hyuuga and loud Naruto had dated for three years until the former Team 7 member proposed. The happy couple now had a bouncy baby boy by the name of Kichirou.

Sakura sipped at the tea, her eyes fixed on a string unraveling from her sweats. These days, it seemed everyone had their life together but her. It seemed like no matter what, she was always left behind. The kunoichi was feeling adrift in her own life, just coasting by and doing nothing to improve it. The last time this had happened, Tsunade had taken her under tutelage. Sakura would always be eternally grateful for the incredible knowledge and power she had learned to unlock in herself, but even that didn't seem like enough to save her now. 'You have got to get it together!' Inner Sakura punched at the air.

Naruto had remained silent, giving his closest friend some space and time to deal with whatever was eating at her. The highly emotional girl he had loved so much while growing up had grown into a very controlled woman. He loved her with the same ferocity, but as a friend. Their bond was extremely close and Naruto knew something was wrong.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on?" He asked quietly.

Sakura turned the cup in her hands a few times before setting on the table. She settled back, wrapping lightly-muscled arms around her knees. It was a familiar position to Naruto, that generally meant Sakura was trying to hold herself together. Concerned, his cerulean eyes sought hers.

Her voice trembled slightly as she asked him, "Have you ever felt lost? Just completely out of place, left behind and alone.." Sakura trailed off, knowing that he had felt that way and how idiotic she sounded. Who was she to come to Naruto with this when he had endured so much worse?

To Sakura's surprise, Naruto burst out into laughter. Immediately Inner Sakura was screeching to pound him to the ground, and privately Sakura wanted to. Sensing her anger, he stopped and wiped his eyes. Immediately he came over to the armchair and enveloped her into a hug.

"Look Sakura, you're one of the most beloved people in our village." He told her, letting go of the kunoichi's slight form. "Your an elite jounin, one of the respected Rookie 9, an incredible healer.." Naruto trailed off, looking down at her. "If this is because you don't have someone boning you, I'm going to give you a swift kick in the ass."

"Ugh Naruto!" Sakura smacked the blond, pushing him off the armchair. "You better not speak to Hinata that way! So crude!"

Grinning like a madman, Naruto bounded to his feet and moved out of her reach. "Made you feel better though, didn't I?"

Folding her arms over her chest, Sakura glared daggers at him. The idiot had made her feel better.

"I think you're closing yourself off Sakura." Naruto said seriously, ruffling her messy hair. "All you ever do is work at the hospital nowadays. I know for a fact Friday night is the only time you go anywhere."

She hated to admit it, but the infuriating man had a point. Most of her peers had moved onto ANBU, or into prominent teaching positions at the Academy. Some had progressed even further. With that in mind, Sakura asked her friend, "Isn't there some work in the village you need to preside over, oh honorable Hokage?"

Naruto waved his hand in a dismissive motion. "Bah! That's not the point Sakura! You don't train, you don't go on missions, the only person you see is Ino. I mean, when is the last time you even talked to Kakashi?"

At the mention of their former sensei's name, Sakura turned an interesting shade of pink. "Your face matches your hair." Naruto stated, the wheels of his mind churning to figure that out.

"It's nothing," Sakura told him firmly, getting up from her seat. "Just the same old odd Kakashi-sensei."

"You really should just call him Kakashi. He's our former sensei." Naruto watched as she washed the cup, dried it and put it away. His eyes picked out the time on the clock. "AH! Is it really ten already?!"

"Obviously, why?" Sakura asked, leaning on the countertop.

"Hinata's going to give me that look. I hate that look," Naruto muttered, heading towards the door. "I'm late for our family portraits."

Sakura giggled and patted the Hokage on the back. "Cheer up. I'm sure you can always hide behind your mountains of paperwork."

"Remind me why I came here in the first place." Were Naruto's fading words as he headed out the door in a black and orange blur.

Laughing softly to herself, Sakura moved into her bedroom. Her former teammate never failed to make everyone around him happy. Humming quietly, the pink-haired kunoichi began her morning routine. As she stepped into the steaming shower, her thoughts began to focus on her former sensei.

She hadn't seen him in awhile. Kakashi had moved up the ranks to join ANBU, and as such was frequently gone. Sakura knew the white-haired shinboi usually frequented The Hideout, but she had never bumped into him there. Wondering if he ever dressed down from the usual uniform, Sakura felt another blush heat up her cheeks. She was turning into a daydreaming lunatic again, just like her twelve year old self! This was silly. Kakashi hadn't even thought her worth training, how could the copy-nin ever see her as a woman?

Cleansed, Sakura shut off the water and stepped out of the shower. Feeling determination flow through her, the kunoichi decided that it was time. She was going to take control of her life, starting with her training. It was time to meet with Lee.

* * *

Author's Note: I wanted to give a huge thank you to those that have reviewed, favorited and followed this story. It is you that keeps me writing.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.

Kakashi arrived at the training ground bright and early. In reality, he was a little over two hours late - in his book, it meant he was right on schedule. With a casual air, the tall copy-nin leaned against the rough bark of a conveniently placed tree. One of his hands delved into the confines of his vest and pulled out the small book. The Icha-Icha books were nearly as much of a trademark as the mysterious mask covering his face.

The white-haired ninja's keen senses were already mapping out everything that was happening on the extensive training grounds. Although most of the major war was finished, none of the Hidden Leaf shinobi stopped their training. The whole community was quite dedicated to never becoming as vulnerable as they had in the past.

In the training grounds to the right of him, nearly fifty feet away there were chakra blasts. Concentrated, swift, powerful chakra blasts in sporadic yet careful movements. 'Must be Neji training with Tenten.' Kakashi mused, turning a page in the story he was reading. 'Wonder who has baby-sitting duty.'

His training partner was late. Kakashi was going to have a talk with his former student, Hokage or not. The whiskered man had shown up at his home yesterday, in the middle of the afternoon, rubbing the back of his head and muttering something that sounded suspiciously like, "Women."

After cheerfully inquiring as to what the blonde was doing sprawled on his couch, Naruto had fixated his ocean-blue eyes on Kakashi with an irritatingly familiar glare. Staring at the finger pointed in his face by the equally tall man, Kakashi asked coolly, "What?"

"You and I are going to spar tomorrow old man!" The spiky-haired blonde shouted exuberantly. Just as quickly as Naruto arrived, he left.

'Hokage or not, he's rather close to being a victim of my One Thousand Years of Death.'

A startled gasp broke his reverie. Though still penetratingly aware of his surroundings, Kakashi hadn't noticed the training grounds to his left were occupied as well. The gasp had been no more than a breath, yet it was audible to his extremely keen senses.

Still holding the well-worn book, Kakashi swung his gaze to the origin of the sound. There, in the clearing were two figures sparring. No chakra was coming off of them, and the recognizable green bodysuit marked the training as taijutsu. Rock Lee was had become a master of the art of taijutsu, and as such was very sought after for training. Villages from all over sent pupils to the bushy-browed master, yet this didn't seem to be a usual class.

Lee leaped and kicked his leg, swinging it in an arc towards his opponent. The pink-haired woman dodged back, crossing her slim arms in an X in front of her. Immediately Kakashi felt his interest peak. Closing the book, he watched his former student with a intensity that even he didn't quite understand. Taijutsu had always been her weakest point - Kakashi could remember with vivid clarity all the complaints the kunoichi had made while younger. Her fluid movements and graceful kicks, dodges and punches made him want to retract that statement.

Sakura was beautiful. In the fury of her attacks, her long locks of pink hair would sway with the movements. Her body glistened with sweat, and his eye watched as a droplet fell between her heaving bosom. The emerald-eyed beauty's lithe body flipped, jumped, and lashed out at her instructor. He was hypnotized by her movements, by the spark of concentration in her eyes, by the bunching of her toned muscles, by everything she did.

Lee's fist swung towards Sakura's face, and in a burst of energy she made a back flip to dodge before launching off of her feet. Racing towards her instructor, Sakura arched her leg into a kick towards his head. Lee's left palm came up, blocking her furious kicks. Sakura jumped away from him, her eyes catching the sight of a messy white-haired figure in the distance. Lee pelted towards her, instantly catching Sakura's full attention. His fist nearly caught her, but she moved just in time.

"Sakura, have you had enough?" Lee asked kindly, his big eyes fixated on the kunoichi.

Looking to the spot that had distracted her before, Sakura chewed her lip in puzzlement. There was no one there. Clearly she wasn't tired enough if she could still daydream about her future sensei.

"No Lee, let's go at it again."

* * *

Sakura held back a grimace and rubbed her left thigh. Lee had gotten her good earlier, with a solid roundhouse kick. They had practiced for nearly three hours before her instructor stopped them. With his normal cheery attitude, Lee had pronounced her taijutsu was remarkably improving. Sakura smiled at the memory, pride rushing through her.

The tired ninja was on her way to the Hokage's office. An idea had been forming in Sakura's mind, nagging at her constantly. She wanted to make a difference in other's lives, as well as create a purpose for her. The jounin rarely took on missions anymore, and even hospital work wasn't inspiring her. Sakura hoped that this would work.

Nervousness shot through her as she approached the door. 'Relax, this is Naruto. You've known him forever, he'll give your idea the consideration it deserves.'

With new determination, Sakura pushed the heavy door open. The room seemed to be empty, and the large desk was buried under paperwork. A smile curved her lips at the thought of Naruto dodging all of his paperwork. 'Some things never change.'

The sound of snoring echoed through the room, and Sakura had to fight back a giggle. Using all of her skills as an elite ninja, Sakura steathily moved so that she was directly behind the large chair. She rushed the sleeping man, using chakra to enhance her vocal chords.

"NARUTO!" She shouted, directly into the whiskered man's ear. With a start he jerked awake, falling out of his chair. Sakura couldn't help it this time - she doubled over with laughter.

The orange and black clad man glared at her ruefully as he stood. Unlike his normal self, Naruto waited patiently with an amused expression on his face for her to finish.

"Are you done?" He asked calmly, once she had managed to quit laughing at his expense. Sakura smiled cheekily at him.

"As glad as I am to see you out and about," the Hokage started, folding his arms across his chest, "What's the occasion?"

Settling her features into a more serious expression, Sakura moved to stand formally in front of the Hokage's desk. No matter how close of friends they were, this was a serious matter and she wished to broach it properly. Naruto raised a questioning eyebrow before nodding, and sitting in his large chair. With a deadpan expression on his face, he pushed aside the mountain of paperwork that obscured Sakura from his view.

Sakura met his blue-eyed gaze and began. "During the Second Shinobi war, your predecessor and my mentor made the request for medic nin to be on teams that were unable to use such jutsus to reduce casualties," she began, noting the slight sadness in his eyes at Tsunade's name. "While the Leaf Village is at peace now, I would like to do something similar."

Naruto steepled his fingers and nodded for her to continue. Sakura took a deep breath and dared to hope. "This generation has numerous medic nin as you know, but I want the process of being able to find those with the capabilities of such jutsu to start while they're younger." Sakura paused a moment, noting the interested look on the Hokage's face. "I think medic classes should begin at Academy level, and continue while the shinobi are still genin. If any have a talent for it and so choose, they would be instructed by a medic-nin. If they aren't," Sakura shrugged, "they will at least have rudimentary knowledge about healing."

The silence seemed almost defeaning after everything she had said. Sakura tried to read what Naruto was thinking, but his expressive face was closed off. Finally, almost to himself, the blond nodded his head slightly.

"I will consider your request. If it is approved, you will be notified and consulted about the best way to put this into place." Naruto intoned, then looked at her and smiled. "Don't worry Sakura. You know I'll give your idea all of my attention."

She smiled at him, trying not to feel too grateful. "You were right. I haven't been myself lately."

The taller man grinned down at Sakura. "Don't worry to much about it, you just needed a little push. You've always been that way."

With an effortless ease that he had always possessed, Naruto diffused the serious conversation. "So want to get some ramen? I keep trying to feed Kichirou some but Hinata catches me every time." He said glumly.

"Naruto.. Babies can't eat ramen!" Sakura exclaimed, looking shocked.

"Yeah yeah, she said the same thing." He grumbled, as they made their way out to Ichiraku's.

* * *

Author's Note: Okay.. I don't know if any of you actually like this story yet. Don't worry, I swear it's going somewhere! I just think Sakura needed to do something for herself before anything else. Also, it took me forever to write that teeny tiny section about fighting. Hope you all enjoy Kakashi's pervy peeking!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.

Nearly five days had passed since Sakura's proposal to the Hokage. She had spent the majority of her time waiting anxiously while working at the hospital, or pacing the wooden floors of her apartment. The medic-nin had been trying not to put too much hope into her plan. It didn't matter though, her heart was set on succeeding. If it went through, then Sakura's entire life would change.. For the better.

Sighing, the pink-haired woman decided that fidgeting alone in her apartment wouldn't speed up the process. She got up and went over to her very extensive book collection, skimming her cherry colored nails over the spines of them. A thin, bright orange book tucked away in the back caught Sakura's eye. A wave of embarrassment washed over her as the kunoichi picked it up. She had purchased it a few days ago, after constantly catching the familiar sight of a wild-white haired shinobi. It seemed every-time the medic-nin turned to see if he was really there, the space was gone. 'Just admit you have always wanted to see what that pervert was into all these years.' Inner Sakura sneered.

Secretly wishing she could mute her inner self, Sakura settled into her favorite arm chair with the book. Opening to the first page, the doubtful kunoichi's interest grew. Before long she was engrossed in the cheesy plot of a vixen entrancing a strong alpha male with her alluring looks and body in order to distract from his mission.

Wondering if Kakashi would fall for such obvious moves as this, Sakura's imaginative mind replaced the main characters with herself and the masked man. Imagining what it would be like to straddle his lap with all of his attention fixated on her, Sakura's body temperature began to rise. Turning the page, she read on. Picturing the copy-nin's dark eye focused with lust and intensity, Sakura imagined teasing Kakashi's mask down, revealing what Team 7 had always longed to see. A streak of heat filled her core, as the lust-filled woman visualized his lips capturing hers in a hungry kiss.

"Indulging in some smut?" The last person she wanted to see right now asked, a mocking grin on his whiskered face.

Sakura squeaked in surprise, a hot blush betraying her as she hastily sat on the book.

"Just because you're Hokage doesn't mean you can just appear in people's homes!" She yelled, trying to compose herself.

The blond barked a laugh, rubbing his spiky hair. "Actually, that's what saves me from getting smacked the majority of the time." His tired eyes stood out to her, as Naruto continued, "I did knock this time - there was no answer. I was just going to leave this here."

Sakura's eyes noticed the scroll held in his hand.

"It's just a formality," the Hokage told her, placing the sealed scroll on her organized counter-top. "A copy of my approval for your plan. All that's left to do is for you to coordinate the details."

With a rush, Sakura leapt off her chair and hugged Naruto fiercely, all previous embarrassment forgotten. The taller man returned the embrace and remarked, "You did good on this. The old grandma would be proud of you."

She released him and smiled, her trademark green eyes watery with emotion. "Thank you Naruto - I don't know what to say."

"There's nothing to say. It started out as a good idea, and you made it better," Her former teammate replied, "Now you have to implement it. I'd like to hear how you'll organize it in a week or so."

Ideas bounced around Sakura's head almost immediately, making her want to sit the Hokage down and discuss them all. Instead she nodded, knowing the time would be needed to make sense of it all.

"Anyway, with the official business out of the way," Naruto waved his hand in a dismissive motion, "Go out and celebrate! It's Friday, you can take a load off. Besides, you may just see Hinata and I at The Hideout." He finished, his eyes twinkling in anticipation.

Sakura smiled, knowing how long it had been since the new parents had been out. "Who'd you stick with babysitting duty?" She asked curiously.

"Neji and Tenten. Let's just say they owe us."

"Hmmm." Sakura hummed, moving to the kitchen to set out a teapot. The least she could do for Naruto was make him a nice cup of tea, especially since he had taken the time to deliver the good news personally. As much as they joked about it, the Hokage had much more on his plate than it seemed. Pouring them both a cup, she slid his across the counter. He caught it easily and smiled his thanks.

Taking a small sip of tea, Sakura asked, "How did the family portraits go?"

"They went easily enough. Kichirou loves the camera, and Hinata looks beautiful even after stepping off a battlefield." Naruto said proudly. "She didn't even notice that I was late. Her usual meet up with Kurenai took longer than normal."

Knowing the bond between sensei and student, whether former or current, Sakura nodded absently. Her thoughts were beginning to stray towards their former sensei. The normally observant kunoichi almost didn't catch Naruto's last comment.

"The strange part came after. Hinata insisted that I go to Kakashi's and plan a spar with him for the next day. She wouldn't even let me eat first!" The blue-eyed man whined. "Then when I was leaving to the training grounds, she made me stay home and help out with Kichirou and Nobuyuki." He said, mentioning Neji and Tenten's toddler. "I don't understand you women."

So Kakashi had been at the training grounds that morning, Sakura hadn't imagined it. Which meant that maybe her imagination hadn't been tricking her all week long. 'Cha! He's finally noticed you!' Inner Sakura crowed triumphantly.

Naruto slurped the rest of his tea down, setting his cup on the counter. "I know that if I'm late tonight though, Hinata will notice. Congratulations again Sakura!" He said, patting the distracted woman's shoulder before exiting.

Once again alone in her empty home, Sakura mechanically grabbed the cups and teapot, washing them. Chewing her bottom lip, the green-eyed woman walked to her bedroom, stopping to stare at herself in the mirror. With renewed feeling, a wide smile blossomed on her face. Sakura was going to be able to leave not only her own, but Tsunade's mark on the Leaf Village. She was going to be a part of something to contribute to her community, her home and nothing could dampen that feeling. Tonight was her night.

* * *

Sakura approached the area where Ino and her usually met up, feeling more confident with every step she took. Tonight the medic-nin had applied all the knowledge bestowed on the kunoichi with her appearance. Spotting the familiar platinum-blonde hair of her best friend, Sakura noticed that Ino wasn't alone. So much for a girl's night. Still, the pink-haired woman mused, perhaps with Ino occupied the match-making would be kept to a minimum.

"Hey." Sakura said, catching her friend's attention. The couple's backs were to her, focused on something inside the bar.

Ino turned, ready to yell at the pink-haired woman for keeping them waiting for so long. Instead her expression was stunned, her glossed lips forming an 'o'. Shikamaru merely shook his head at his tiny girlfriend before returning Sakura's greeting. "Hey Sakura. Ino was ready to come and dig you out of your apartment."

Sakura was about to reply when Ino cut her off. "What's the occasion forehead girl? Are you finally going to end your single status?"

Sakura rolled her eyes at the comment. She knew it would be coming the moment Ino saw her. Instead of her typical black dress with flats, paired with no makeup and her long hair tied into elegant knots, the emerald-eyed ninja had gone all out. The silky tresses had been pressed into soft curls cascading down her back. Her black-rimmed eyes sparkled, and the smoky purple eyeshadow made the emerald coloring stand out even more than normal. In place of her black dress, Sakura had opted for a crimson one, given to her by Ino years ago. The material clung to her curves, showing off an hourglass figure that had only been improved by all of her training. Not only was it tight, but on each side there were three cut-outs, revealing taut porcelain skin underneath. For once, Sakura had left her breasts unbound, and the result was a bosom that would rival Tsunade's. Straps supported her chest, making the outfit classy yet revealing instead of all out trashy. The straps were adorned with tiny white diamonds that continued to outline the top of the dress and then dipped in between the beauty's breasts. Sakura's long toned legs were left bare, as the hip-hugging dress ended right above her knees. Black strappy stilettos completed the look, embellished with a single tear shaped diamond in the middle of the shoe.

"You even put makeup on!" Ino squealed, nearly dancing in excitement. Something had to be up, as it had been almost a year since Sakura had made an effort in her appearance.

A small smile stole over Sakura's glossed lips. She held back the urge to straighten or smooth her dress under the intense scrutiny of Ino. "Yes I did." She replied simply, resisting any sarcastic responses. "We have something to celebrate."

Shikamaru stirred uneasily beside the plotting Ino. Her lovely pixie face had a very familiar expression, one he knew to mean the blonde was up to something.

Without hesitation, Ino grabbed Sakura's small hand and pulled her towards the entrance. "Why are we wasting time outside when you look like that, let's get you in there!"

Shaking his head at the endless energy his girlfriend possessed, Shikamaru followed the pair inside.

* * *

The night had begun with plenty of cheers, toasts, and congratulations from her peers. The Hideout was bustling with activity tonight, yet Sakura still sat alone at the bar. As soon as the first flask of sake had been drunk, Ino had dragged a reluctant Shikamaru onto the dance floor. They hadn't left it, despite the protests of how troublesome dancing was from the lazy shinobi.

In honor of Tsunade's memory, as she was the origin of this idea, Sakura was spending the night by celebrating with sake. Although her tolerance was high, after the second flask of the spirit Sakura was beginning to feel the effects.

"Congratulations Sakura!" A soft voice said, and the pink-haired woman turned her head to see Hinata and Naruto standing beside the bar. Hinata's dark blue hair gleamed in the lights, and the medic-nin could see that her figure had rebounded nicely from pregnancy and child birth.

"Hinata, Naruto!" The already tipsy kunoichi greeted them cheerfully with warm embraces. "It's so good to see you out of the house."

The whiskered man nodded his agreement, holding his wife's tiny frame against him. Hinata smiled and told her in a lowered voice, "I never thought I would say it, but it's good to be out of the house." A small blush stole over her pale cheeks, "Just to get some alone time."

"Hehe, guess that means I'm getting lucky!" Naruto grinned mischievously.

'Who cares if his wife is there, smack him!' Inner Sakura growled. Instead her eyes moved over to Hinata, and she could have sworn that the dark-haired beauty pinched his butt. Shaking her head, Sakura thought to herself that the sake must have had more of an effect than she thought.

"We're going to head to the dance floor - enjoy your night Sakura!" Hinata told her, gently tugging her husband's hand. The kunoichi leaned back against the bar, watching as they joined the dance floor. It was packed tonight, nearly double the usual Friday amount.

Sakura sipped another cup, emptying its contents. She was unaware of the man watching her from the shadows in the back of the bar. That's why, when he appeared at her side soundlessly, the startled woman nearly dropped the empty cup she was holding.

"Ah! Kakashi!" She exclaimed, suddenly nervous. The taller man was leaning casually next to her, his eye trained on that all-too familiar book. Sakura set the cup on the bar, fighting to remain calm. 'Finally this is getting interesting!' Inner Sakura beamed.

"Mind if I join you?" Kakashi asked, turning a page of his book.

Remembering the contents of that particular volume and what she had been fantasizing about earlier, Sakura began to feel a little flustered. "Not at all," she replied, then asked him in return, "Where's your usual group?"

"Kurenai threated cutting off Asuma's habit if he didn't join her on the dance floor," the copy-nin replied, closing his book and storing it back in his vest. "I believe Genma and Anko are utilizing the alleyway behind here."

Finally the wild-haired man looked at Sakura with an unreadable gaze. "It seems I'm alone tonight."

"You have me." Sakura said, her reply coming out much more serious than intended. Her eyes met his, and they spent a long moment like that. The silence seemed thick with something as the moment stretched on after her words.

Kakashi broke the eye contact first, closing the space between them. He seemed about to say something when -

"Sakura! I can't believe you haven't joined us on the dance floor yet!" Ino shouted, perspiration on her brow. She swooped in, grabbing Sakura's arm. "Let's go! Don't waste that dress on just sitting there!"

Sakura glanced back over her shoulder at her former sensei. His eye followed her as he remained leaning against the bar, alone. She wondered what he would have said to her, what had been filling the silence between them. She could still feel the effect of his gaze on her, and having the entire attention of Kakashi made Sakura feel.. Powerful.

The thrum of a new song vibrated through the bodies of all those on the dance floor. The heat of all their bodies warmed Sakura even further, as her blood began to pulse in time with the music. The confidence and pride that she had been imbued with earlier merely grew with the sake Sakura had consumed.

Watching Ino all these years had to be good for something, the kunoichi reasoned as she began to move her body in time with the music. Sakura's emerald eyes sought out Kakashi's. Never breaking eye contact, she began to sway her hips sensuously. Cherry-red fingernails skimmed up and down her sides while she moved, slowly moving her arms up to run fingers through the long locks of hair.

A victorious feeling floated through her hazy mind as her observant eyes watched the masked-nin swallow. Continuing her slow movements, she moved her lithe body into small figure eights. Sakura wanted to get more of a reaction out of the guarded shinobi. Her nails whispered across her chest, dipping lower to her thighs and caressing the covered skin.

Another couple moved in front of the dancing kunoichi, blocking Sakura's view of the man she was seducing. Impatient to get him back in sight, Sakura cut through the crowd and struggled to the front of the dance floor. By the time she got there, Kakashi was nowhere in sight.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.

The next morning, Sakura found herself on the way to visit the Memorial Stone. This was the last step she needed to take in order to move forward with planning. Glancing at the familiar training grounds and suppressing any thoughts of her former sensei, Sakura stopped at her destination. The morning sun shined down on the Memorial Stone and illuminated the many names carved in place.

Gently pressing her fingers to the list, she read every name off silently. When reaching Tsunade's, a single tear slid down Sakura's pale cheek. The Fifth Hokage had been like a mother to the woman, taking the young girl under her wing and showing her that she had worth. The legendary sannin had proven that you didn't have to be a male in order to have great fighting prowess. Sakura owed nearly everything to her.

A breeze blew through her hair at that moment, sending the long pink locks blowing about Sakura's face. The leaves off of the trees blew about the space before the shrine. Sakura's emerald eyes sparkled, for she took this as a sign that Tsunade, in her own way, was still looking out for her former student.

Quiet footsteps interrupted the moment. Sensing a familiar chakra, the pink-haired woman turned. 'Of course it would be him.' Inner Sakura growled.

Kakashi stared in surprise at the kunoichi in front of him. He hadn't counted on anyone being up their early, particularly after the huge gathering at The Hideout yesterday evening. He especially hadn't counted on running into Sakura. It seemed no matter how much Kakashi tried to distance himself, she always managed to find him.

Instead of disappearing as he had been doing all week, he continued towards the Memorial Stone. Remaining silent, the much taller shinobi stood beside his former student. His one eye was fixated on her, as he stuck his gloved hands in his pockets nonchalantly. Sakura stayed quiet as well, moving to face the shrine once more. Her slight shoulder brushed his arm, and she stood like that, their bodies just barely touching.

They spent the passing time like that, and the longer they stood like that the more Kakashi felt his control slipping. Her slight shoulder pressing against his arm, her small hand touching his thigh, the curve of her hip brushing his body was enough to fracture his legendary self-control. That wasn't all though. Her body warmth was seeping into him, warming his core. Not only that, but he could smell her. Sakura's scent wafted teasingly in and out of his nostrils, making him want. A man could go mad with this torture.

Kakashi had been trying to stay away from her since that Friday night. Since touching her smooth, delicate skin and gazing into the emerald eyes, eyes that a man could get lost within. Usually when the copy-nin made a resolution, he kept it. He couldn't with this. Somehow, he couldn't stay away from her. Everywhere Kakashi went, there were signs or hints of the pink-haired kunoichi. Now the white-haired ninja had given up on avoiding her.

He willed for time to stand still. Kakashi wanted nothing more than to just stand like that, with her, barely touching her. As much as he didn't want to admit it, Sakura had invaded his mind.

"You have been following me all week, haven't you?" The quiet question came out as more of a statement before Sakura continued, "Then why have you been avoiding me?"

Kakashi's eye remained on the shrine in front of him, studiously avoiding eye contact. It didn't matter though - Sakura's eyes were fixated in front of her as well. She felt as though Kakashi was almost like a wild animal. If she startled him too much, he would disappear on her again.

A sigh shuddered through the lean man's body. He knew that this moment would have to come, but it didn't make him feel any better about it. The normally secretive shinobi had trouble revealing any part of himself, especially private matters such as this. Besides, Kakashi himself didn't even know how he felt or what this was. All he knew was that he wanted Sakura in more ways than one.

"You're right, Sakura." Kakashi acknowledged, noting a small reaction at the sound of his voice saying her name. "You're an observant enough shinobi to know when you're being followed."

"Why would you follow me only to avoid me?" She asked curiously, still not facing him.

Kakashi wondered briefly if the observant kunoichi could sense his anxiousness, or how hard his heart was pounding. Instead he said in a neutral voice, "I've been trying not to give you the wrong idea."

At this statment, Sakura finally turned to face him. Her arms were crossed over her chest and a slim eyebrow was raised at him. "What is that supposed to mean exactly?" She asked quietly. Kakashi knew the many shades and tones of voice she had, and that one was close to being dangerous.

Exasperated, Kakashi faced her. "I'm not what you need Sakura. You are young, vibrant, intelligent, strong and so much more. You need someone who can keep up with you, someone who can experience it all and make new memories with. Not someone who is old, or who you have to worry about dying long before you." He spoke in a rush, obviously having said this to himself a few times before.

A montage of emotions flickered over Sakura's face. Her famous temper was pushing closer to her breaking point at the absolute stupidity of the man in front of her. "Are you kidding me?" The pink-haired kunoichi asked dangerously, her emerald eyes narrowing.

Not giving the copy-nin time to answer, Sakura repeated the question. "Are you kidding me? That is just about the silliest thing I have ever heard." She remarked, becoming more incensed.

"Are you going to tell Asuma and Kurenai that they shouldn't be together because they're shinobi?" Sakura asked him angrily. "How about Naruto and Hinata? Neji and Tenten? Shikamaru and Ino?" She continued naming off couples who both were ninja. "Would you have told any of the great shinobi of the past that they shouldn't have been with the people they love purely because they had also dedicated their lives to the protection of our village? Would you have told them not to bother to have families?"

Kakashi said nothing, his dark eye on the enraged woman before him. She was on a tirade, making her point in more ways then one. He was beginning to feel a little idiotic about his confession.

"If it's one thing I have learned as a jounin of the Hidden Leaf Village," She said, her voice holding an unshakable conviction, "It's that we as shinobi can not cut ourselves off as people. We need to fight for the ones we love, protect them, and hold them close every day that we can. It means that we need to embrace love when we find it and cherish every moment it lasts." Sakura finished, her eyes fired up with emotion. "We don't know this is love. But you're not even willing to give it a chance -"

Kakashi moved. In a flash he grabbed her, crushing Sakura's slight form to his own. He tugged his mask down so quickly that she didn't even see his face. His lips met hers in a rough kiss, but after a moment, Kakashi softened the kiss.

Sakura felt as though she were going to melt. The taller man's hardened body coupled with his skillful lips on hers was creating a raging inferno inside of her. His large hands were gripped around her shoulders, but Kakashi moved them. One moved to the back of her head, tangling itself in her long locks of pink hair. The other moved to grip Sakura's firm rear. A blaze of heat and desire followed the movement of the copy-nin's hands.

When Sakura responded to his kiss by deepening it, Kakashi slid his tongue over her bottom lip. Eagerly she opened her mouth and he slid his tongue into her mouth.

Never being slow to catch on, Sakura slowly rolled her hips against his. Kakashi nearly moaned into her mouth, instead he lightly smacked her behind. The kunoichi ground her hips into his again, feeling something large hardening in his pants.

Kakashi broke the kiss off, nipping her bottom lip as he pulled away. Catching his breath, the wild-haired man looked at Sakura. She was a sight to behold. Her long hair was a mess, her porcelain skin was flushed, her green eyes were glazed over with desire, and her lips were swollen red.

Sakura gazed into the depths of Kakashi's eyes. The sight of his sharingan revealed should have been unnerving, but it was the opposite. She feasted her eyes on the masked man's face, feeling her heart pound at the sight of it. The lower portion of his face was incredibly handsome. His nose was straight, not too small or too strong. Full lips were curved in a teasing smirk, as if Kakashi knew the effect his face had on people. Her fingertips fluttered over his strong, chiseled jaw-line as Sakura leaned in to steal another kiss from him.

Kakashi returned the kiss, then broke it offf again, his lips moving to the kunoichi's sensitive ear lobe. His hot breath panted against it as he whispered roughly, "Not here. Not in the open."

Sakura looked at him searchingly before nodding, her own voice coming out in a breath. "Let's go to my place. Hope you can keep up."

* * *

Sakura's nails skimmed over Kakashi's defined chest and stomach. Her head was nestled in the crook of his arm, her bare legs wrapped around his. Kakashi's eyes were closed and his body was completely relaxed. 'Should be after what you did to him!' Inner Sakura smirked triumphantly.

It had been a few hours since their confrontation, hours spent doing mind-blowing things. A small smirk appeared on Sakura's face as she remembered it. Now, they were both laying in her bed naked. 'I can't believe he hid that face all these years.' Inner Sakura remarked dreamily.

Privately, the sated kunoichi agreed with her inner self. It was a crime to hide such a face from the world. Though, Sakura felt touched that the previously masked-nin had revealed himself so completely to her. She wanted to show him that he had made the right choice, and that she wanted him for more than the physical aspects. Although, she mused, sex had been amazing. She should have known that her former sensei was knowledgeable about such things, the man positively reeked sensuality.

Caught up in these thoughts, Sakura didn't notice Kakashi's eyes opening to look at her. His calloused, larger hand touched hers. "Sakura." He said softly, catching her attention.

"Mm?" She replied, caught off guard. Her large green eyes looked into his, and he felt his breath catch.

"I never got to congratulate you." Kakashi told her, a small smile on his face. The hand that was holding hers stroked her soft skin. "About your plan. Tsunade would be proud - I am proud of you and how far you've come."

Hearing the long-awaited words of praise from not only her former sensei, but a man who now viewed her as an equal was enough to make Sakura's heart nearly burst with joy and pride. It had been years since Kakashi had said anything positive to her, and Sakura had nearly forgotten how much his words meant.

Smiling widely, she moved to kiss him quickly. "Thank you, Kakashi."

Hearing her soft voice say his name was enough to make him ready for another round. Ignoring his body's urges, Kakashi began running his fingers through her petal-soft hair. "Do you know how you'll plan it? There are only so many medic-nin in the village, and the hospital takes its fair share."

Sakura closed her eyes at his ministrations, feeling her body relax even more. "I think I have a rudimentary plan figured out. I was planning on bringing it before the Hokage this afternoon."

Chuckling lowly, Kakashi squeezed her hand. "Yet somehow you're in bed with me. I'm a lucky man."

"That you are." She agreed, "I don't just bed anyone you know."

"Lucky enough for another round?" He asked her teasingly.

Sakura's eyes shot open in interest. "I'm sure I could be convinced."

"Let me show you how convincing I can be." He growled, moving to pin her.

* * *

It was late in the afternoon when they finally parted ways. Kakashi had agreed to meet her later in the evening, after Sakura had brought the second part of her idea to the Hokage. Sakura was on her way there now, her pleasantly-sore body still tingling with the thrill of his touches. A dreamy expression crossed her face as she opened the door to the sixth Hokage's office.

"Sakura?" A voice she was not expecting asked as the one she did expect shouted, "Sakura!"

Instinctually she covered her eyes, not wanting to see the Hokage and his wife in any compromising positions. Hinata's giggle reassured her that the view was safe. Peeking out just in case, Sakura made sure they were both clothed. Seeing that they were, she removed her hands and sighed. "Don't scare me like that!"

Naruto growled something and glared at Sakura. "Look who's talking!"

Confused, Sakura looked at Hinata. The blue-haired woman was patting Naruto on the back with a smile on her face. "Don't just attack her."

Rubbing a hand through his spiky blonde hair, Naruto said in a calmer voice. "Look, I know I told you to drop the sensei when talking to Kakashi, but this is going a bit beyond that."

A hot blush stole over Sakura's cheeks as she gleaned the meaning behind his words. "How did you know about that - it just happened!"

"The Memorial Stone isn't exactly the most private place for fornicating." Naruto said, his eyebrows raised. "And you live in an apartment complex. There were complaints of noise."

Hinata sighed at her husband's crudeness the same moment Sakura said, "So basically the whole village knows by now?"

"Pretty much." Naruto replied, grinning.

"Great.. Just great." Sakura said, rubbing her temples in annoyance. They had barely figured this out between them, and now everyone would be prying into their relationship.

"Why are you here anyway?" Naruto changed the subject, sensing his friend's irritation. "It's Saturday, normally I'm not in the office."

"Should I leave?" Hinata asked, not wanting to intrude on formal meetings.

"No, no, Hinata." Sakura told her, smiling. "It's actually better if you stay. Part of this plan involves you."

Interested, the couple stood behind the Hokage's desk together, their eyes fixed on Sakura. Feeling unsettled at having their complete attention, Sakura pushed her long hair behind her ears. She had done this before and gotten a positive response. She could do it again. An air of confidence surrounded her.

"Beginning with Academy level students - I think we should bring in a medic-nin to teach basic knowledge of chakra control and medical treatments. Ugai would be best for this. Now, since the hospital would come first," Sakura said, pausing to give them a serious look, "If needed we could swap him out with Kusushi or Mitate. Naturally the Konoha Medic Corps are essential in this, but we would need a schedule to rotate teaching, hospital, and team duties between the three."

Naruto nodded his head, still paying rapt attention to Sakura. This outline would work, though in the beginning it would be rough with giving out so many duties. The only way to have more medic-nin were to train them, he thought to himself.

"Now at genin level, they would have different instructors. They wouldn't be their sensei, but any shinobi that has a talent for medical ninjutsu should continue training their abilities with Hosho, Kito, and Kanpo. Since they wouldn't be training constantly or 24/7, it should be doable between the three."

Sakura took a breath and expelled it, feeling pleased at the nodding of both Hinata and Naruto's heads. "Finally, we have chunin level shinobi and higher. Because of the higher ranks, more medical-nin will be needed to cover them all. If Ino, Hinata," Sakura inclined her head towards the woman, "And myself are available or so choose, we can instruct teams or chunin, jounin, or ANBU shinobi. If we are unavailable, there is Kumadori, Mogusa, and Oyone to do so." She finished.

Silence stretched after her long recitation, and hesitantly Sakura said, "What do you think?"

"It would be a great undertaking of Konoha's medical-nin." Naruto mused, "All the effort and manpower would be worth it though, particularly if we can increase our medical-nin. Especially if another war arises."

Hinata nodded her agreement. "I would be honored to be included in such a movement." Her soft voice added to the Hokage's statement.

"I'll push through the paperwork and instruct the chosen medic-nin on Monday." the Hokage said, "And notify Shizune about the changes she'll need to make in hospital staff as well as the Konoha Medic Corps."

"Thank goodness she heads both of them." Hinata stated.

Sakura smiled, feeling thoroughly pleased with herself. She knew that Shizune would be more than happy to aide the wish of her beloved Lady Hokage as well as do anything in her power to make sure it went off without a hitch.

"Don't look too happy, I still plan on beating Kakashi senseless." Naruto said, ignoring the hand placed on his shoulder by Hinata.

Sakura looked questioningly at Hinata, for she seemed to want to say something. Naruto looked at his tiny wife, curious as well.

"Well.. You said it was time she stopped referring to him as sensei." She muttered, "Kurenai and I sort of.. Well.."

Remembering Naruto's grumbling about Hinata being late to their family portraits and the meeting with Kurenai, then making him challenge Kakashi and not show up for it, Sakura's keen mind pieced the fragments together.

Taking a deep breath, Sakura asked her, "Did you and Kurenai try to get Kakashi and I together?"

Hinata glanced at her husband's dumbfounded expression and Sakura's curious face. "We just gave you a push." She said, a devious smile transforming her face. "Naruto mentioned how down in the dumps you were, and the odd reaction to Kakashi's name. Kurenai told me about how her couldn't keep his eyes off of you. So we just nudged you two in the right direction. Tenten told me that you were going to spar with Lee, so I had Naruto challenge Kakashi then leave him there for him to see you. Then.. Kurenai had Asuma and Genma ditch him while I told Ino my plan. We wanted for you to get together at the bar." She finished, trailing off with a small blush on her face. "We wanted to see you two happy."

Naruto burst into laughter, taking Hinata's small form in a tight hug. "I never knew you had it in you!" He said affectionately.

Sakura blinked in surprise at her friend's plan. Knowing how kind-hearted the other woman was, the pink-haired kunoichi understood that this was for exactly the reason she had conveyed. Sakura smiled and enveloped both Naruto and Hinata in a hug.

"You've spent too much time with this one." Sakura told Hinata with a grin, gesturing to Naruto.

The blonde man released his wife and looked at their friend. "You don't know the half of it."

"Eew! Naruto don't even!" Sakura said, glaring daggers at him. "I don't want to know anymore. I have to go meet Kakashi," she told them, ignoring Naruto's grimace. "So I'll see you both later."

"If you show me his face I swear I'll let it go!" Naruto called after Sakura's retreating form. Ignoring his yell, Sakura shut the door, an amused expression on her face.

* * *

They met under the night sky in the middle of the training grounds. Sakura arrived first, waiting for Kakashi under a large tree. Thoughts ran through her mind in a jumble as she watched the stars twinkle above her. The soft crunch of grass and rocks under his feet marked Kakashi's arrival.

Sakura wanted to run up to him, but she stayed in place, berating herself for wanting to act like such an idiot. His customary mask was on, and his eye crinkled happily at the sight of her.

"Yo." He said casually, standing before her. He sensed an awkwardness about her, and decided to abate that immediately. The white-haired shinobi pulled her into an embrace, holding her close. Sakura wrapped her arms around his lean, hard body and felt relief. Their relationship had progressed from student and sensei, to friends, to something more. Yet in changing, they hadn't lost any familiarity.

She released him at the same moment Kakashi released her. With a small smile, Sakura looked at him and said, "Eager Kakashi? One would think you were a little worn out earlier."

Kakashi's hand tucked a loose strand of hair behind the kunoichi's ear. "It seems I have energy for more." He said, a smile hidden behind his mask.

"Does that mean there will be a next time?" Sakura asked him, her green eyes trying to see what the wild-haired copy-nin was thinking.

Kakashi gazed back into her questioning eyes. His voice came out low and serious, "As many times as you'll have me." He paused before continuing, "You can have as much of me as you want."

"So you're..?" Sakura asked hesitantly, leaving off the last word.

"Yours." He replied simply, touching her porcelain cheek. The simple word came out heavily, filled with conviction and meaning.

Emotion arised in Sakura as she cradled the hand touching her own. A watery smile crossed her face and she replied cheekily, "I hope you realize what you've gotten yourself into, Kakashi."

Laughing, he took her into his arms and kissed her forehead. "There's no turning back now. After all, you've seen what is under my mask."

Sakura smiled and took his hand in reply. They began walking back to Konoha together, each of them thinking the same thing.

'Who knew.'

* * *

Author's Note: Sorry for taking so long to update, life interfered. We've reached the end! I want to thank everyone who read, followed, favorited and reviewed this story. Please tell me what you think about it as it's my first 'longer' story.


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